Cemetery Sunday (also referred to as Blessing of the Graves) is an annual ancestor veneration observance held in Roman Catholic and other cemeteries in some areas of Ireland and along routes of Irish migration. Parishioners prepare by cleaning family graves and, in some cemeteries, decorating the graves. Grave decorations incorporate flowers as well as crafts and mementos. In cemeteries where a priest is not available, Cemetery Sunday may still be held absent the formal service and blessing.[1]
In Ireland, the date varies by parish, and is typically in summer. Parishes coordinate to avoid scheduling Cemetery Sunday on the same week so that families can attend services at all cemeteries where their relatives are buried. For churches which are no longer used, Cemetery Sunday can be the only regularly held service on the grounds.[2][1]
In the United States, Cemetery Sunday is the first Sunday in November, around the time of All Souls' Day.[3]
St. James Church (Church of Ireland) in Dublin, had a long-established tradition of cemetery cleaning and decoration in conjunction with the Fair of St. James, historically held on July 25, the Pattern Sunday for St. James. There are records of burials at St. James as early as 1495 and it is believed that the cemetery may have been in use as early as the 13th century. There is no known documentation of when cemetery decoration began at the St. James Cemetery, but it was well established by the early 19th century.
The fair itself was banned from the public streets by the 1730s but continued in a smaller way next to the cemetery through the 1820s.[4][5] In 1821, G. N. Wright wrote of a custom to "deck the graves with garlands and ornaments, made of white paper, disposed into very extraordinary forms".[6] By 1828, Nicholas Carlisle characterized St. James cemetery decoration as a custom that was already old:
It was, and perhaps is still, the custom in Dublin on St. James’s day, for the relatives and friends of those who are buried in St. James’s church-yard, to dress up the Graves with flowers, cut paper, Scripture phrases, garlands, chaplets, and a number of other pretty and pious devices, where those affectionate mementos remained, until they were displaced by fresh ones the next year.[7]
Burials continued in the St. James Cemetery through the 19th and 20th century before ceasing completely due to the closure of the cemetery.
Ritual elementsedit
Cemetery maintenance and decorationedit
Cleaningedit
For days or weeks before the designated Cemetery Sunday at a particular cemetery, family members of those buried there work to clean and tidy the graves. This may also include removing overgrown plants and debris from the cemetery and other general maintenance to the grounds.[2]
Flowersedit
Cemetery decoration often features cut flowers. Homemade crepe paper flowers were also common in early St. James cemetery decoration.[6] Today, artificial flowers are often used. Flowers can be placed on graves in any number of ways, including in patterns.[2]
Grave tokensedit
Decoration can include the placing of tokens at individual graves. Tokens are often personal or household items significant to the relationship between the person who places the token and the deceased.[2]
Festivitiesedit
Homecomings and family reunionsedit
Relatives of the deceased often choose Cemetery Sundays to return home for visits and reunions after moving away.
Food and drinkedit
Food is a common element in many Cemetery Sunday traditions.
Music and singingedit
Singing is also common but not universal.
Connection to Decoration Day in Appalachia and Liberiaedit
Scholar Barbara Graham connects Cemetery Sunday traditions to the Decoration Day traditions of Appalachia and Liberia as many Irish and Scotch-Irish refugees and other immigrants from Ireland settled in Central and Southern Appalachia.[2]
^Hopkins, Frank (2008). Hidden Dublin: Deadbeats, Dossers and Decent Skins. Mercier Press, Ltd. p. 28.
^Murphey, Sean. . Fountain Resource Group. Archived from the original on 14 September 2019. Retrieved 14 September 2019.
^ abG N, Wright (1821). An Historical Guide to Ancient and Modern Dublin. London: Baldwin, Cradock, and Joy. p. 164.
^Carlisle, Nicholas (1828). An historical account of the Origin of the Commission appointed to inquire concerning charities in England and Wales; and, an illustration of several old customs and words, which occur in the reports. London. pp. 326–327.
January 01, 1970
cemetery, sunday, also, referred, blessing, graves, annual, ancestor, veneration, observance, held, roman, catholic, other, cemeteries, some, areas, ireland, along, routes, irish, migration, parishioners, prepare, cleaning, family, graves, some, cemeteries, de. Cemetery Sunday also referred to as Blessing of the Graves is an annual ancestor veneration observance held in Roman Catholic and other cemeteries in some areas of Ireland and along routes of Irish migration Parishioners prepare by cleaning family graves and in some cemeteries decorating the graves Grave decorations incorporate flowers as well as crafts and mementos In cemeteries where a priest is not available Cemetery Sunday may still be held absent the formal service and blessing 1 Contents 1 Dates observed 2 Observance in Ireland 2 1 Earliest Irish observances 3 Ritual elements 3 1 Cemetery maintenance and decoration 3 1 1 Cleaning 3 1 2 Flowers 3 1 3 Grave tokens 3 2 Festivities 3 2 1 Homecomings and family reunions 3 2 2 Food and drink 3 2 3 Music and singing 4 Connection to Decoration Day in Appalachia and Liberia 5 See also 6 ReferencesDates observed editIn Ireland the date varies by parish and is typically in summer Parishes coordinate to avoid scheduling Cemetery Sunday on the same week so that families can attend services at all cemeteries where their relatives are buried For churches which are no longer used Cemetery Sunday can be the only regularly held service on the grounds 2 1 In the United States Cemetery Sunday is the first Sunday in November around the time of All Souls Day 3 Observance in Ireland editEarliest Irish observances edit See also St James Church Dublin Church of Ireland Cemetery St James Church Church of Ireland in Dublin had a long established tradition of cemetery cleaning and decoration in conjunction with the Fair of St James historically held on July 25 the Pattern Sunday for St James There are records of burials at St James as early as 1495 and it is believed that the cemetery may have been in use as early as the 13th century There is no known documentation of when cemetery decoration began at the St James Cemetery but it was well established by the early 19th century The fair itself was banned from the public streets by the 1730s but continued in a smaller way next to the cemetery through the 1820s 4 5 In 1821 G N Wright wrote of a custom to deck the graves with garlands and ornaments made of white paper disposed into very extraordinary forms 6 By 1828 Nicholas Carlisle characterized St James cemetery decoration as a custom that was already old It was and perhaps is still the custom in Dublin on St James s day for the relatives and friends of those who are buried in St James s church yard to dress up the Graves with flowers cut paper Scripture phrases garlands chaplets and a number of other pretty and pious devices where those affectionate mementos remained until they were displaced by fresh ones the next year 7 Burials continued in the St James Cemetery through the 19th and 20th century before ceasing completely due to the closure of the cemetery Ritual elements editCemetery maintenance and decoration edit Cleaning edit For days or weeks before the designated Cemetery Sunday at a particular cemetery family members of those buried there work to clean and tidy the graves This may also include removing overgrown plants and debris from the cemetery and other general maintenance to the grounds 2 Flowers edit Cemetery decoration often features cut flowers Homemade crepe paper flowers were also common in early St James cemetery decoration 6 Today artificial flowers are often used Flowers can be placed on graves in any number of ways including in patterns 2 Grave tokens edit Decoration can include the placing of tokens at individual graves Tokens are often personal or household items significant to the relationship between the person who places the token and the deceased 2 Festivities edit Homecomings and family reunions edit Relatives of the deceased often choose Cemetery Sundays to return home for visits and reunions after moving away Food and drink edit Food is a common element in many Cemetery Sunday traditions Music and singing edit Singing is also common but not universal Connection to Decoration Day in Appalachia and Liberia editScholar Barbara Graham connects Cemetery Sunday traditions to the Decoration Day traditions of Appalachia and Liberia as many Irish and Scotch Irish refugees and other immigrants from Ireland settled in Central and Southern Appalachia 2 See also editDecoration Day Appalachia and Liberia Flowering Sunday Pattern devotional References edit a b Rennicks Rich Cemetery Sunday in Ireland A Trip to Ireland Archived from the original on 22 February 2019 Retrieved 14 September 2019 a b c d e Graham Barbara 2016 Death Materiality and Mediation An Ethnography of Remembrance in Ireland Berghahn Books Cemetery Sunday Archdiocese of Newark Retrieved 5 August 2013 Hopkins Frank 2008 Hidden Dublin Deadbeats Dossers and Decent Skins Mercier Press Ltd p 28 Murphey Sean The Story of St James Fair Fountain Resource Group Archived from the original on 14 September 2019 Retrieved 14 September 2019 a b G N Wright 1821 An Historical Guide to Ancient and Modern Dublin London Baldwin Cradock and Joy p 164 Carlisle Nicholas 1828 An historical account of the Origin of the Commission appointed to inquire concerning charities in England and Wales and an illustration of several old customs and words which occur in the reports London pp 326 327 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Cemetery Sunday amp oldid 1216990161, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
